Monday, March 16, 2015

In 2013 Viktoria Minya was presented here by Hedonist in a journey to Paris and to the 18th Century French Novel Les Liasons Dangereuses by P.C. de Laclos. It was composed by an illuminated peachy nectar that was luxurious and lustful at the same time.

One year later she is presenting again another nectar, but this time it is a honeyed fragrance with Hungarian sweetest dessert wine Tokaji Aszú notes. The syrupy berries were infused with honey and immortelle to present a golden allure.

According to Viktoria, Eau de Hongrie EDP is a revisited version of the famous Eau de La Reine de Hongrie created in the 14th century. Eau de Hongrie as it is well known was the first alcohol-based perfume with rosemary and brandy, lavender, mint, sage, marjoram, costos, orange blossom and lemon.

Eau de Hongrie EDP like all honey nectar perfumes is very cheering, very spring-y, waxy-syrupy with a refreshing naivité. A gourmand flowery scent that puts a huge smile on the face. It is rich, without being sticky. It is naive without being childish.

Truth is that wearing this perfume I feel like dancing. I feel a little bit gypsy!

Sunday, March 15, 2015

I haven't been quite active in my blog not only due to lack of time, but also because I haven't been presented to fragrances that I find worth writing about.

Since my last article about niche I have been feeling really disappointed with perfumery in general. Too many dull creations, too many blogs writing about them...too much of everything.

Last week I had a huge surprise when finally my newest PUREDISTANCE creation arrived.

The brand presents a dream in white & gold; a flow of happiness. An intimate escape from harsh reality. And that is exactly what it is. The harsh reality of 1000s of niche fragrances one copying another, one using more OUD than the other and finally an ESCAPE. I am happy to see that among so much olfactive stupidity someone finally presents something that it is worth buying. (I know many perfumers are hating me right now or shouting who she thinks she is...but that is the freedom of speech that millions are fighting for these days. In my blog, I say what I feel. Simple as that!*)

How beautifully crafted WHITE is. JAN you excelled yourself with this one!!

No wonder it is another Antoine Lie creation. He has also composed BLACK for the brand, which is a very sensual perfume. White is a mood transforming perfume that makes you fall in love.

WHITE PERFUME EXTRAIT is a complementary fragrance to BLACK IMO. The sensuality continues to flow in a subtle, gentle and smooth provoking way.

At the very first whiff you understand what the brand is about. Happiness is a smile that does not show gum. It has style.

PUREDISTANCE is 100% niche because it reflects JAN E. WOS' personality: PUREDISTANCE is JAN and JAN is PUREDISTANCE. Impeccable manners with a sincere humor.

The fragrance itself has an opening that brings a whiff of greens evolving a beautiful real rose. In my last article I mentioned the smell of real roses remember...well, PUREDISTANCE would never think of using something else in its compositions.

After a few minutes the creaminess of sandalwood will be rounded with Tonka unfolding the sensuality to the perfume shaped by a luxurious orris note. Vetyver brings a smokiness and a rare bitter chocolate undertone which is not so easy to find these days. Most vetyvers are simply earthy and dirty.

It is a delicious gourmet perfume that reminds me of another one that provoked as much as this one: Le 6 by Ida Delam. While Le 6 is a pure into the panties perfume, WHITE is more of an invitation. Just as BLACK, it won't press you against a wall and penetrate you right there. It will whisper something very charming with an understated wish to penetrate you. ;-)

Photo credit: Lucien Clergue

WHITE could be easily understood as the olfactive interpretation of French photographer Lucien Clergue black and white nudes.

Truth is that WHITE is not so white...it has shades of BLACK.

*sample was provided by the brand as many or most of the perfumes are, and yet many of them I don't review because I didn't relate to them in a positive way. I keep an objective view even being friends with some of the brand owners. I am not paid or encouraged to write articles.

Christopher Brosius is one of these amazing artists that moves you in such a way that you don't know if you get inspired by him to explore the world of scents everywhere you go, or lock yourself in his studio and proclaim eternal faith to him and to him only.

His fragrances are not just perfumes you buy and wear. They are experiences. They are smellscapes contained in vials that he carefully designed for his clients. His clients. I have to say that his fragrances are not for everybody. A CB client needs to be as creative as he is, as curious as he is, smart as he is, and most of all needs to love Nature.

If you don't give a special importance to your dreams, your inspirations, your way of expressing emotions and how you relate to the world around you, CB is not for you.

Expect to cry, to smile, to wonder, to be happy or even angry when smelling his vials.

I had a project to review his fragrances since I met Patrick at Elements in 2013. Patrick worked at CB I Hate Perfume in Williamsburg - Brooklyn and he was generous enough to provide me 38 samples of his collections. I haven't been in touch with him since so I don't know if he is still working for the brand. I hope he is!

Visiting the shop that year I purchased AT THE BEACH 1966 which I have already reviewed here.I will start with the CB Reinvention Series which is a collection of seven fragrances, which I have all the samples. ABOUT CB REINVENTION SERIES"The History of Perfume is old as Mankind itself. Over the
millennia, the quest for perfume has expanded civilizations, changed cultures
and brought the discovery of new worlds. But like the study of any History, exploring the history of
perfume can only be done from our modern point of view. It must be reinvented
in order to be understood. The world changes and we change along with it. We
cannot truly comprehend how previous generations thought or felt let alone
realize just how new and provocative certain perfumes must have been when first
introduced to the world. They too must be reinvented in the light of today. All the perfumes in this collection explore some aspect of the
History of Perfume. Some are recreated as closely as possible to what they may
have been. Others are unique combinations of fragrance materials both
traditional & modern – these bring “up to date” a classic
concept of traditional perfumery". (extracted from CB I HATE PERFUME website)

In #201 CB93 Christopher Brosius wanted to reinvent the Eau de Cologne.

For this designed fragrance he used a combination of natural essential oils of Galbanum, Bourbon Geranium, Holy Basil, Siberian Fir, Scotch Pine, Moroccan Cedar, Candlewood, Sandalwood and Frankincense.

Yes, it does smell natural, so if you are not into Natural Perfumery this fragrance is not for you. Slightly green, slightly flowery and slightly woody... it is a delicate smell. #202 PATCHOULI EMPIREAlso a natural perfume, CB's patchouli fragrance is a blend of 5 different patchouli sources and black pepper, with a woody base. Said to be warm, subtle and ever changing...Let's just say that it is not the best patchouli perfume among many others in the market which I have reviewed here in 2011, in an article called Patchouli Fragrances.

Tom Ford launched in 2014 his Patchouli Absolu fragrance as an ode to the iconic raw material, reinventing it and giving it a vanguardist approach. Sounds nice, but CB has done that already in 2005. I think that for those who study perfumery it will be interesting to compare the differences of perceptions of what means a contemporary patchouli almost 10 years later.

#203 VIOLET EMPIREI listed this fragrance back in 2012 in an article about Violets Fragrances and it is one of the
most amazing violet perfumes I have ever encountered.Designed with notes of Elemi, Violet leafs absolute, Rosewood,
Mahogany and Russian leather. Since Violet Absolute is no longer available for
its extremely expensive price, CB had to recreate it. It is probably the smell of Heaven, when you are involved in a
cloud of love and kindness. It is the smell of a bunch of little children with
sparkling eyes surrounding a huge birthday cake. It is the smell of NOTHING
MATTERS BUT MY VERY OWN HAPPINESS!

How to start describing this precious elixir?

It is one of the gentlest perfumes I have ever tried. It
contains such a positive aura that you feel like taking a bath of it EVERY
morning before starting the day. It is perfectly crafted and I would be this man's slave if he
promised me a constant supply of this perfume. Yes, that is what is wicket
about his perfume. Once you wear the smell of heaven, kindness, love and sparkling
children's eyes you get to be so irresistible that lack sex would never be an
issue anymore. Any person with a nose will want to smell your skin for hours, so careful with the seductive power of this perfume.

Once the kindness fades away you will be involved in a very sensual leather note that urges you to kiss and be touched.

If I was to describe this fragrance in a short way I would say it is a Victoria Secret's Angel Top Model. heavenly and sexy as hell!

The result is I was never a rose perfume fan but I must admit that there are 2 fragrances that I call redemption: CB I HATE PERFUME ROSE TEA and The Different Company ROSE POIVREÉ. I love both for the same reason: they are real roses. While in TDC rose comes with pink peppercorns and coriander, here you will find the perfect blend of black tea and rose. It is feminine, classy, extremely gentle and REAL. I loved this fragrance so much and I identified with CB in terms of loving or not loving rose perfumes. I know exactly what he meant.

About the Author

Simone Shitrit is a Sao Paulo-based olfactive designer, author & editor for +Q Perfume Blog, +Q Perfume Trends & Blends Blog. She was for more than 2 years exclusive fragrance contributor for the Brazilian Beauty site Cristiana Arcangeli (The iconic entrepreneur and reference to the Brazilian Cosmetic & Perfumery Industry), fragrance evaluator and free lancer writer for the Brazilian Beauty & Cosmetics magazine Atualidade Cosmética. Exclusive Fragrance Consultant for one of the largest Brazilian news Broadcasters - BandNews. She also gives lectures and promotes events about perfumery and for perfume brands.

As a Fragrance expert and consultant always cutting edge, she was the first and only perfume blogger to be a juror of the Brazilian Perfumery & Cosmetics Awards - Atualidade Cosmética; consultant for big fashion magazines such as Marie Claire and House and Garden in Brazil; freelancer evaluator for Fragrance Houses in Brazil; and is always invited to be present in fashion, design, gourmet and perfumery events.

With a background in International Trading, Business Administration and International Marketing and Corporate Law, she has been working with multinational companies and governmental organizations. Today she is the senior marketing manager for Orphek Led Lighting Solutions.

All the contents of this blog belong to its Author and Editor, and are protected by intellectual property rights. +Q Perfume contents (texts, opinions and pictures) and layout are protected by copyrights laws, which prohibit any use of the material appearing on this blog for commercial purposes under the applicable legislation. All pictures shown in the blog were courtesy of its owners; therefore they cannot be copied without previous consent of the Author.